Laws We Need, and Laws We Don't Need

December 8, 2011 - America is in its decline, and there is one simple, primary reason for this: we are over-legislated.&nbsp We have more laws in America than any other country in history. We are the least free country in history. And yet, Americans continue to vote for the same two political parties that consistently whittle our freedom away.

There are countless laws in this country that are unnecessary. Many laws cannot be enforced. Many laws unfairly apply only to specific special-interest groups, such as "hate crime" penalties. Many laws exist to specifically exempt certain members of our society, such as government employees (specifically, Congress), from legislation.

And there are some laws that sound good, in theory, but are actually more harmful than helpful, and do little more than limit our freedom. These are the laws that should be repealed first. Here are my suggestions:

Minimum Wage - Why does it seem that the majority of products we buy in the U.S. are made in China. And if not China, then Indonesia, the Phillipines, Mexico, Thailand, Tiawan, Viet Nam, Honduras, etc. The reason is simple: the workers in those countries are willing to work for less than the U.S. minimum wage laws mandate. Those workers are happy to be employed. There are many Americans who would rather work for less than minimum wage than be unemployed. If we didn't have minimum wage laws, far more Americans would be employed. Fewer employers would outsource. More products would be made in America, which means more Americans would be buying more products made in America. All of this is good for America. It's a no-brainer.

Wages should be agreed upon by the employer and the worker, not dictated by the government. If a worker isn't willing to work for lower wages and would prefer to be unemployed, he/she has that option. But the government should not interfere with the market. The bottom line is that the government's interference increases the unemployment rate and increases imported products, which hurts Americans.

Equal Employment Opportunity - Okay, before you go off the deep end, let me at least get the paragraph written. First of all, I don't hate anyone. I simply believe that the EEO laws apply to whites, and not to all people.

Have you ever walked into a small business where all the employees belong to one minority race? Of course. It happens in millions of small businesses across America. If it's a business that consistently hires only whites over a period of time, inevitably, someone will complain about discrimination. But a business with all blacks, or all Asians, or all Latinos - no one complains. Why? Because we have nothing to complain about. The person who hires is, and should be, free to hire as he/she chooses. There's nothing wrong with an Asian restaurant having all Asian employees, or a Mexican landscape company having all Latino employees. But if it's a business with all white employees, whether it's intentional or not, our government has convinced us that that's evil.

Here's a major example of where this law hurts America. Most Americans are opposed to and angry with the illegal immigrant problem. Most illegal immigrants come from south of the border, and they come here for the opportunity to work. In many cases, Americans must hire these workers because we cannot legally discriminate. But if Americans had the freedom to hire who they choose, there would be less opportunity for these immigrants, and a reduction in the illegal population.

"But Jonas, there would be legal immigrants who would be discriminated against because of their race. That's not fair!"

No, it's not the race that Americans are unhappy with. It's the fact that so many immigrants have come here illegally. If we had the freedom to hire as we choose, the illegal immigration population would not be an issue because employers would not be forced to hire illegal immigrants. If there was no illegal immigrant issue, legal immigrants would not be discriminated against. Employers would have no reason to discriminate.

The bottom line: Let American employers make their own decisions.

Obama's Healthscare Laws - We could go on forever with this one. It is truly scary that anyone would even openly consider such oppressive legislation in America. To put it simply, everyone in America already has "access" to medical care, much of which is the very best in the world. Whether they can afford it is a different story. It is not the government's responsibility to make anything affordable to anyone. The federal government is inherently inefficient, and whatever it gets involved in inevitably costs more than if it didn't get involved. The government should not force anyone to buy anything they don't want to buy. Medical care is available to everyone, and is often provided at discounted rates or even free for those who cannot afford it. If the American people want to provide medical care to those who can't afford it, they already have the option, and billions of dollars are donated every year to provide that care. But we cannot expect every person to be able to afford every medical treatment for every medical condition. Medical care should be an agreement between the people providing the care and those who need it. No one else, certainly not the government, should be involved.

Despite the fact that I complain about having too many laws, there are some laws that need to be added to the books. These laws would be designed to protect Americans from the government, as opposed to most laws which limit freedom in order to protect or empower the government. Here are my suggestions:

No law should ever apply only to designated groups or individuals. All laws should apply to all people.

For example, Congress would not be exempt from anything. If a law is good enough for the American population, it should be good enough for Congress.

Another example: Punishment should never be more severe for some victims than for others. A crime committed against a government employee such as a police officer, legislator, judge, etc. is no different than a crime committed against any other person.

Punishment for a battery committed against a homosexual should be the same as punishment for a battery committed against a heterosexual. Sexual preference should not even be considered. Battery is battery.

Taxes should be the same for all taxpayers. No taxpayer should be penalized with higher taxes simply because they've worked harder, are luckier, or for whatever reason, are more successful. In other words, if we base our tax-paying system on a percentage of income (which I oppose, but that's another story), the rich and the wealthy should pay the same percentage as anyone else. The government should never take any person's money simply because the person has it to take. Taxing the wealthy at a greater rate virtually eliminates the desire to be productive and earn more money. That's why there is such a small population of wealthy in America. Most people don't want the government to take so much of their money, so they don't strive to earn it. They settle for middle class.

Taxes should never be applied only to specified products, e.g., gasoline, cigarettes, corporate jets, liquor, etc. If the government absolutely must impose a sales tax (or anything that resembles a sales tax, no matter what you call it), it should be applied equally to every sale and every product. That includes milk, eggs, and bread.

What I'm saying is that everyone should be treated fairly and equally by the government.

New laws should only be passed though a referendum, and not by legislators alone. Legislators should work with the people to make sure proposed laws are properly worded and constitutional. But it seems like our legislators feel their primary obligation is to constantly create new laws. This is the primary reason we have so many laws. Laws should only be passed when the people are upset enough to work toward the solution of a real problem that directly affects them, not when a legislator feels obligated to subsidize a handful of farmers in the legislator's home state.

For any referendum to pass, it should require a number of votes greater than 50% of the number of eligible voters. Note the word eligible. In other words, a law should not be passed unless the majority of eligible voters wants the law passed - not the majority of those who were passionate enough to support it and took the time to vote. Yes, voting is a right; it is not, and should not be, a requirement unless the majority wants to change something. Declining to vote is a vote in itself. It's a statement to the government that means "Leave us alone. Things are fine the way they are."

Similarly, candidates for many government positions should require a number of votes greater than 50% of the number of eligible voters. If the voters don't think it's important enough to vote for a particular judge, mayor, etc., leave the seat unfilled. It will save money, and the voters will quickly learn which seats are essential and which are a waste of taxpayer money.

Am I an extremist or a radical? Then I am proud to be extreme and radical. I hold the same beliefs this country was founded on - the same beliefs our founding fathers fought, and often died, for. I believe in freedom - the right to make our own decisions and live with our own mistakes.

The purpose of government is not to solve everyone's problems and complaints. The purpose of government is to do for the people what the people cannot do for themselves. This includes defending the people from attacks by foreign entities. It does not include the vast majority of meddling committed by our governments - local, state, and federal. If you believe it does, then I would argue that you are un-American, that you do not support freedom, and that you are the enemy.

User Comments:

jj - Dec 13, 2011 12:12:04  if you want fewer laws, you should also not get to pick and choose according to your prejudices. how about legalizing all drugs, gambling, prostitution & abortion?
support freedom from religion.

Jonas - Dec 13, 2011 02:39:52  Let me make this as clear as I possibly can: I am not prejudice; I do not use drugs; I do not gamble; I have never used the services of a prostitute (nor have I ever been a prostitute); and if I were a woman, I would never have an abortion.

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